My Baby Doesnt Sleep Well During the Day

I am honestly not sure what is going on, but as I was reading your request my mommy mind is working...Is he to hot or cold? Maybe is needs to be swaddled still...Do you have one of those things that keeps them form moving maybe the tossing and turnig is keeping him awake? Have you had him checked for an ear infection Or have you talked to your dr? Have you tried to let him cry in his crib for 10-15 min after a nap to get him to fall back to sleep?

I am hoping that one of these things will help you!!

First of all, I can sympathize, but you should never cover his face. If your baby is sleeping that good through the night he may not be tired during the day. You can do a search on the net for sleep requirements and you'll get the amount of sleep he needs for his age and perhaps you just need to keep him up more and give him just 2 naps during the day. He may be sleeping out of board um.
And it sounds like your baby is already getting the 5 O'clock frumpies. It seems most children get ornery about 5 -6 pm for whatever reason. Try not putting him to bed then, get him playing, he may need some stimulating play or baby Einstein videos to keep him up till 7:30, that's what we do and our little guy never cries himself to sleep he's had a full evening and is ready for bed. Your little man is growing up and may need more stimulation during his day.
Also, my husband works in the OR and orthopedics is his specialty and when our little guy won't sleep or is fussy he ALWAYS says perhaps he's having growing pains. They are very real and growth ONLY happens during sleep. Also, like another Mom say perhaps colic or hunger. Hylands makes teething tablets and colic tablets that dissolve on the babies tongue INSTANTLY. I use them (the teething tablets) for when our little guy is growing too. Target has them and so does Walmart. Good Luck.

Hi L.,

My daughter is now 17 months old. She did the same thing you are describing with your son when she was his age. I didn't know if I would EVER get the schedule thing down. However, by the time she was 12 months, we naturally found her schedule and now it is down pat. I would say it just takes a few months for things to even out. Try and learn his cues and take notes about what times he seems to be getting tired, getting hungry, etc. each day. Then, try and find the pattern and copy it each day. One warning though, just as soon as you get one pattern down, it changes on you ... so don't get too comfy yet. Ha ha! My main advice is just to relax and enjoy your newborn. Soon enough (around 12 months like I said) he'll fall into a daily routine and then things will be easier. For now, take naps & feedings as they come, trying to see patterns, and before long you'll know what to expect from each other. Hope this helps. :)

E.

Have you tried swaddling him? I know to you and me it would seem terribly constricting but to babies it reminds them of the closeness of the womb. Additionally, they don't have as much control of their limbs and often wake themselves with sudden jerks or movements. Swaddling limits the movement, keeping them asleep for longer periods of time. We swaddled my daughter until she was nearly 10 months old. Also, my mother in law runs an infant only day care and after seeing our success, she started doing it to all her babies. It is a tried and true method!

Hi L.,

I am so glad you found MommaSource! :)

It sounds like you are doing everything right, Caden is as normal as they come.

A few things to try:

Do you have a set schedule? Example:
Wake 7 am
Eat
Play
Nap 9 am
repeat every 2-3 hours

It might help him to sleep better during the day if he knows what to expect. My first baby, Cooper, was a horrible sleeper the first 15 months of his life. I didn't believe in schedules and in retrospect, we all suffered for it!

Madelyn, my second baby, was on a schedule from the moment she was concieved because we had implemented it with Cooper. She was born knowing what to expect and has always been a great sleeper.

Try putting him into his crib, pulling the shades, swaddling and if there is another routine like music or water noises, do that too. Have a routine just like bedtime and try to stick to it.

Hope this helps!

kt

L.,

I didn't have this problem, but we did just before my son's 1st birthday. We went to Walmart and got black out shades. The are a thick white plastic shade that's hung between the window and the curtains or blinds in the room and they work!!! My son is 2 1/2 and they still make it easier for him to fall asleep for his nap on the weekends.

Good luck.

M.

I dont know if he sleeps in his crib at night for naps, but there is nothing wrong with shades or a blanket to cover his face. My 6 month old use to take naps in her car seat, which I kept next to me, until it got too much for her and the noise would wake her up, now she naps in her crib. She, herself, use to put a blanket over her eyes and face. It use to bother me, I was scared of her sufficating, so I would take it off, but later she would wiggle enough to cover up again. Now she has a little secruity blanket, I found a cute one at Walmart, that is not as big as her head and face, but she can cover up her eyes without covering up her mouth and nose. Its very soft and cuddly, and it also rattles, so she plays with it when she wakes up. I leave the shades up slightly, so there is enough light in there to help her wake up, but not too much to bother her nap. But the most important thing to remember is he is a baby and he doesnt have a schedule, and even if you put him down at the same times and such, he wont follow it. It doesnt mean you are a bad mom or anything, he is just a baby. He could be teething too, mine had her 2 bottom teeth by the time she was 4 months. Ask your doctor if you can start him on some cereal too, that keeps him full a little bit longer and lets him sleep better at night. Most doctors say cereal at 4 months, then start the rest around 6 months, though I rarely follow that advice myself. lol As long as he can push the cereal to the back of his mouth, he will be fine. Good Luck!

L.,

Hi! My youngest daughter was the same way untell about a month ago. she would take little "cat naps" througout the day and never really take a nap. What we did was first of all make sure that she was taking all her naps in her bassinet, sometimes we would let her fall asleep in our arms, in our bed, etc. that has definitly helped. Another thing was we switched her bottle nipple to the fast flow, she eats more at her feedings and definitly sleeps longer too sence she is full and content.The last thing is a sound machine! That is the most amazing thing ever!!! I use it for both my girls and has made all the difference. Plus with that on while they are sleeping I can do housework & I don't have to worry about the noise I make. Plus I think it is comforting to them. Hope this helps and good luck:)
~A.

My son is now a year old, but I was noticing he would wake up to the lightest of sounds when he was about 3 months old. I got a small fan to put on his dresser and since then- he sleep great. He's been sleeping thru the night since about 4 months (8pm-8am). It's wonderful. As far as daytime sleeping, mine had varied. He goes from one long nap (2-3 hours) one day to an hour nap the next day. Kids are pretty in tune- so maybe like you mentioned he knows it's daytime? You could maybe try a humidifier or a fan - that may help with him waking after 30 minutes? Maybe darker curtains in the bedroom?

Hope you find something that works! Good luck!

As hard as it may be, I would advise against making the room dark or covering baby's eyes for a daytime nap. They need to know that it's day, and they learn that by having more light in the daytime than at night. Have you tried carrying him in a sling or using the swing for naps? The motion may keep him asleep for longer periods of time. My daughter is 2 months and she usually only takes cat naps during the day too, other than maybe 1 or 2 long naps. Those 2 naps are about 1 or 2 hrs each.

We co-sleep, so at night, even if she just woke up from a nap, mine will go back to sleep with me when I'm ready for bed.

Why is it that you say he's still tired when he wakes up? How is he acting? Is he really fussy for a long time? Do you think he might be having a little colic? If so, it could be that he's waking often because he's uncomfortable with the gassiness, and still feeling bad, not necessarily tired.

Hopefully you can figure something out soon. :)

Hi. My son is 3 1/2 months old and is almost exactly the same. He sleeps about 20 minutes every hour and a half or so durring the day. And 6 hours at first at night then for another 4-5. He used to take a good 2-3 hour nap durring the day but woke up 3 times at night. I think some baby just go through different stages. I guess we are the lucky ones that have to deal with this. If anyone gives you some good advice, would you mind sharing?? Take care!

A good book that I followed with my second child is "On Becoming Babywise" It will help you get him to sleep better during the day and also at night. Babies who sleep well during the day also sleep better at night. I went through the same thing you're going thru with my first and that was because I didn't like to hear her cry. I'm expecting my 3rd child this May and will be following the principles in the Babywise book just like I did with my 2nd daughter. Hope this helps! -A.

L., my oldest didn't sleep very well his first few months. At least during the day but he slept through the night. I figured he was making up for missed meals and wanted to eat all the time. Does he sleep in his own crip for naps or the bassinate or does he sleep with you.
He may be getting to old for co-sleeping. I won't worry about his little cat naps unless it always stays that way. My niece only sleeps a hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. When we were there last July she still co-slept with her parents.

I used to wrap my youngest tightly in his blanket and he slept better. Does he have a binky or toy to hold. I know he's little but he may need something to comfort him to sleep.

Just like I said thought my oldest only cat napped and when he got to be three or four, naps stopped all together. Your child may not need as much sleep as others or maybe it's too quiet as compared to the day, or Geez, I don't know. With my second I always made sure the TV was on at first and a radio at night. He sleeps really soundly now. Does he eat enough, is he the right weight? Is he happy after the short naps. He may seem tired but is he just hungry? I'm rambling, I'm sorry. I wish I could help you more. Good Luck.